Getty in the news (again) *

Monday's New York Times reports that the Getty Museum is "in final negotiations" to hire Michael Brand, director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as the new director in Brentwood. Deborah Gribbon, remember, left in a hurry last fall after clashing with Getty Trust boss Barry Munitz. And on Saturday, the L.A. Times reported that Pamela Johnson, vice president for communications and corporate relations, is leaving just two years after receiving a signing bonus of $127,000 to work up on the hill. Also noted in the LAT piece: "Since February, the trust has paid more than $250,000 to Sitrick and Co., a high-powered public relations firm best known for steering the prominent through times of crisis."